


Precipice

by Hedgi



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry Allen is an Idiot, Cisco Ramon is so Done, Gen, and about a lot of things really, arguing about Crisis, reaction fic, the writers have no sense of continuity but jokes on them i forget nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:41:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21567820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hedgi/pseuds/Hedgi
Summary: "Sometimes, as a leader, you have to make tough calls in order to serve the greater good." says Barry Allen, hoping Cisco will understand, and let him meet the fate Crisis has in store.oh, Cisco understands tough calls, alright, and he's going to make sure Barry understands just how many he's made--or tried to make--over the last few years.reaction to 6x04 because the writers have no sense of continuity ever but that doesn't mean I don't.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 31





	Precipice

Cisco very nearly took a step back, feeling as though he’d just been caught across the chest. Instead, he stared at Barry, who stood there looking more like a stork than ever, lank and pale, and trying to hide frailness. Cisco didn’t need his power to tell him that, to feel the way the other man was only barely keeping the anxious lightning under his skin.   
  


“Excuse me?” he demanded, moving now only to block access to the small freezer. Of course, Barry was a speedster, Barry could get to it no matter where Cisco stood, but still. “ You’re trying to teach me--are you kidding me? Are you for real? Did I miss something?”   
  
“Cisco, you’re going to have to make a lot of choices--difficult choices, hard choices, when you’re in charge. I want to help--”   
  
“Bullshit!” Cisco only felt the smallest twinge of guilt at the way Barry Allen flinched at superspeed. “ _ When _ I’m in charge?  _ When?” _

  
_ “ _ Like it or not,” Barry snapped, then softened some, weight behind his eyes, “I’m not going to be here. We always knew someday--and that’s coming. It’s not a matter of if--”   
  
“Oh, no, that’s  _ not  _ what I’m talking about. Look, Barry, I know. Ok? Of everyone here, I  _ know _ . This Prophecy thing, and Nora, and--and your mom-- you feel like everything’s on you, but open your eyes! You think no one in this building has made a , a ‘tough call’ before? How many bugs did you breathe in and get stuck up your brain?”   
  
Barry gaped a little, closer to a beached fish now than a heron. “ This is dif--Cisco--”   
  
“No, I’m not done. My turn to monologue. Your turn to listen.” Cisco rubbed his temple, staving off the growing headache. “Do you really think none of us -- do you really think  _ I _ haven’t made a hard choice before? Made one of your tough calls? With lives hanging in the balance, world changing stakes? You honestly think I don’t know what that’s like? How blind are you? Barry, we’ve been making those calls for years. While you were in jail, while you were in your speedforce time-out, while you were pulling your lone-wolf, one man rebuilding the city under the cover of night and not so much as a text bull. Or how about when we had to choose between finding you or saving Caitlin, when Ammunet and the DeVoes were both being shitty on the same godforsaken Tuesday night? Hell, what about Caitlin having to decide if she was going to close the portal to earth 2 or wait just another minute for us--what about having to decide if we were going to leave you to rot in Zoom’s cage or risk getting killed? None of this is new to me, to the team. We’ve been doing this for half a decade, and just because you’ve been team leader most of the time doesn’t mean you’re the only one to make tricky choices. We’ve chosen to back your calls, right alongside you. “ Cisco stopped to breathe, holding up a hand as if he still possessed the power to pull at the Speedforce and force Barry to stop and listen. Barry remained still.    
  
“When Nora kidnapped me, and Savitar, and the Rogues, and  _ I _ had to choose, between letting someone I cared about die or making weapons that could  _ and did kill people _ , just me, no team I could ask if I was doing the right thing-- When I decided to risk my life pulling you out of the Speedforce after you gave up your powers,  _ twice _ ? This isn’t about me  _ not knowing  _ how to make a tough call, this isn’t about me not knowing how to make the choices I really don’t want to make, and you know it. This is you, wanting me to let you make  _ this _ call and do nothing about it.”   
  
“Cisco,” Barry cleared his throat. “ Cisco, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that’s been weighing on-- I’m sorry for making it sound like--but it’s not. I want to you be ready for the choices you’ll have to make, but this is something I have to do. It’s not like--like you leaving me with Zoom or not, this is me or the world. I don’t like it, I don’t want to--god, I don’t want to, but this is the call I have to make, and I hope you  _ never  _ do.”   
  
“Gorilla City.” It was almost a whisper.   
  
Barry’s look of sincerity morphed into puzzlement. “What?”   
  
“You heard me. Gorilla City.” Cisco’s voice shook, some. “It was me or the world then. And I made the call. And you ignored it. You said, No, we’ll find another way, and we did. You made Caitlin almost kill you, you risked everything. I made the tough call, and you said  _ no.  _ so now I’m saying No. we find another way to save Ramsey. , if he even wants to be saved. We risk whatever we have to. We find the third option.”   
  
He knew from the way he could hardly even feel his hands that he was shaking, his voice caught on every other word. “I’m done making the hard choice to let my friends die. I am done standing in the pipeline refusing to open the door. You want me to make the tough calls? Fine. I’m making one now.”   
  
He folded his arms across his chest, feeling his heartbeat through his whole body, wild and out of tempo, and waited. 


End file.
